The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-10-21
John II. Finch.
Charles Bextey Hgie.

The tidings of the death of John i.
Finch carried SORROW to thousands Of homes
and hearts. In no one spot outside of that
sacred place where the widow and the
fatherless boy weep by the side of the dear
dead husband and father, are there mourn
ers more sincere than this th%ronging multi
tude at Chickering Hall, here where he
was so much beloved. here where we hoped
fondly to listen TO his musical voice on
this very day. The Lord of Hosts has
taken away from our Jerusalem the strong
staff, the mighty man, the wise counsellor,
and the eloquent orator. Since there came
to us with such suddenness on last Tuesday
morning the announcement of his death,
in our dependency and sense of loss We.
have been cropping blindly, crying as child
rem at the translation Of this youthful
prophet, MY Father, my Father, the
chariots Of Israel and the horseman there
Of" 1t is vain to stand here to speak in
a few words Of John B.. Finch. We are
too near that awful scene. Some other
time some loving friend who knew him all
along will stand in some proper place and
paint the picture OF this wonderful man.
Wonderfully many-sided, combining in his
character those natural qualifications, phys
ical and mental, which combined in him
so many qualities that are ordinarily dis
tributed over many persons. He was a
close student: a close thinker, and retained
.ul.nA L.. ~ H., "a x-a,l,,r,1
orator with that musical VOICE of his by
nature SO richly endowed aud 50 highly
cultivated. Frank in his expression, his
earnest, ardent temperament cleaying the
way into all heads aud hearts. BY far the
most convincing, the most impressive
speaker | ever listened to on any platform.
In his youth lie was L marvel. Out here
in the interior Of this State, in one OF its
rural counties, in a little village, was born
John b. Finch. He had the reputation OF
always being a good boy. He had the ad-
vantage of beng born in a poor family
where in his early struggles he fought the
battle for himself. We are told that in
the village school he stood at the very
front. by and by this comely boy, this
beautiful youth, was found striving for the
medal that vas to be granted to the best
record on the closing day of his school.
Oh, how he fought, and how he studied
for that medal. Not blessed with the adj
vantages of a very large wardrobe, he, with
his poor mother, sat down and discussed
how he should be clothed on that wonder
full occasion. He had set his heart upon a
pair of new shoes for one thing, but when
they looked over the family exclcquer,
they found it could not BE- afforded. The
old shoes must answer the purpose. His
mother said to him, 'Jolnnie, people will
look at your head and not at your feet"
He, with his mended shoes with tap and
patch, stood before the multitude of the
village, and they were startled with this
young mans composition; the original
thoughts which he as a youth poured forth
upon them with all the eloqpenco with
which you have listened To him from this
platform. Clasping his mothers hand lie
walks away from this triumph, she 50
proud of her marvellous boy. AS they
come along the sidewalk they behold one
staggering from an American saloon.
They stop and look at the picture. His
mother clasps his hand a little closer and
says: 'tJohnnie, do you see that?' ''Oh
yes, mother, | see it, and hete i register
my vow that | will give my life to the de-
struction of this great evil" There he
made the covenant, this beautiful, inspiring
youth, that he would consecrAte his life to
that one thing, the sweeping away from
this fair land of ours this dreadful shame
and desolation. How well he kept that
covenant. His mother sealed the covenant
with a kiss and sent him forth with moth
ing but himself and her blessing to COM
bat with the world at large. How glor-
iously he fought the battle. | could not
stop to recount his victories. They are ia
miliar to many Of yOu-how he began in
the temperance reform and became con
nected with this organization and that or
ganization, finally linking himself with
two hemispheTes as he joined together that
wonderful Order of the Good Templars on
either side of the Atlantic Ocean. lie be-
came the foremost leader in this cause of
ours. lie died amid the smoke and flame
Of battle and We could see him at the very
front with lifted sword and waving crest
eading to conquer.
John b. Finch is dead, and we from our
stand point of human vision say, eve
never can fill his place II will be diff
cult 10 d. it; but remember, my friends,
that God lives; that We have never go, TO
fill His place, aud it IS His cause. He
takes Us by the hand to-day, reaching down